Proverbs 18:21 NIV
"The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit."
The Power Behind the Muscle: When the Tongue Becomes a Weapon or a Blessing
Is your tongue any different from the muscle of your heart or any other part of your body, like your eyes? No. The tongue is a muscle and a tool that God has given us to praise Him. Yet, like everything connected to humanity, Satan tries to corrupt what God intended for good. If allowed, Satan will use the tongue to hurt God rather than glorify Him.
You noticed I said if allowed. It’s a choice.
This week’s verse reminds us that our words carry deep spiritual weight. They can either build up or tear down, bless or curse, speak life or destruction. The “fruit” mentioned refers to the consequences that follow what we speak, whether good or bad.
Have you realized the power your tongue holds?
My friend, as I have been studying the tongue, I’ve come to understand that it doesn’t automatically possess the power of life or death, we decide how we will use it. The tongue is part of both a physical and spiritual cycle.
Here’s how the cycle flows:
- The Heart – Our heart is the storehouse of what we feed it. It releases energy based on what is stored inside. If we feed it goodness, goodness will overflow; if we feed it evil, evil will flow out.
When Jesus said in Matthew 12:34,
"You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of,"
He was exposing the heart as the trustworthy source that guides the tongue. - The Mind and the Eyes – What we see shapes our thoughts. Those thoughts reflect what’s already stored in the heart. “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” Matthew 6:22–23 (NIV)
For example, as a young girl, I felt rejected, ridiculed, and dismissed. As a result, bitterness and anger grew in my heart, bitterness filled with unforgiveness, a need to prove people wrong, a drive for education, and a desire to please others.
My eyes began to see every situation as a challenge to overcome. My thoughts became battlegrounds fueled by the brokenness in my heart. My tongue then became the mouthpiece of that pain, often expressing itself in rage and revenge.
This caused me to push people away. My relationships were fragile because I was trying to protect and preserve a wounded, fragile heart.
But at age 14, I was introduced to a different energy source for my heart, Jesus.
Since 1994, Jesus has been revealing what He told me at the age of 9, when He brought me a Bible in response to my tearful cry. (You can read my full story in my book, A Daughter’s Cry and a Father’s Response.)
Through the power of the Holy Spirit, I allowed Jesus to begin carving out the cancerous cells that Satan had planted in my heart.
Hebrews 4:12–13 became real in my life:
"For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account."
As the Word of God began to reshape my heart, my speech began to change—because the source of my words had changed. My heart was now drawing from the well of God’s truth.
But the battle didn’t end there. Satan continues to fight to fill my mind with lies and doubts—to harden the soil of my heart. And this, my friend, is the reality of our spiritual journey. This battle will continue until we see Jesus’ face to face.
There are moments when we might slip, when the enemy’s lies cause us to speak words that contradict God’s promises and commands. But we must remember:
"Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips."
— Psalm 141:3 (NIV)
Let God’s Word continue to purify your heart, because the tongue only speaks what overflows from within.
